What to Stream: 3 Snubs in the #OscarsSoWhite Controversy

Superfan

The nominations for the Academy Awards were announced more than a week ago, but it’s been the films and actors that were not nominated that have dominated the headlines. Ever since Jada Pinkett Smith caused a firestorm with the announcement that she would boycott the Oscars, the #OscarsSoWhite controversy has been the talk of Tinseltown.

Although some of the snubbed films that feature people of color are still only in theaters, we’ve got three options that you can stream this weekend.

First up is Straight Outta Compton, the surprise hit of the summer about the formation of rap group N.W.A. This film actually did get an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. But, interestingly, all the screenwriters happen to be white. Although the film is a period piece set in the late 1980s, many of the themes it deals with are still in the headlines today. Straight Outta Compton is available to rent or buy on all major services.

In Beasts of No Nation, Idris Elba plays a warlord in a fictionalized African nation who trains a group of child soldiers. The film pulls no punches, and anyone familiar with Elba’s other iconic roles knows that the actor brings everything to his work. Many found his lack of a Best Actor nomination to be a glaring omission. You can watch Beasts of No Nation for free on Netflix.

The New Yorker named Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq the best film of 2015. The movie, about Chicago women who refuse to have sex with their boyfriends until they stop murdering one another, is based on the Greek play Lysistrata. Many were surprised it was left out of the nominations entirely. You can rent or buy Chi-Raq on Amazon today.

Let us know what you think of these films, or suggest others you feel are worthy of an Oscar statue in the comments below.

Excited about the NFL’s return to Los Angeles? Check out another option for what you can stream this weekend.

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